Abrading device



July 18, 1939- A. v. BREED 2,166,676

ABRADING DEVICE Filed July 30, 1937 IIIIII Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ABRADING DEVICE Application July 30, 1937, Serial No. 156,523

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in abrading or polishing devices for flat material, and particularly to that class of devices having an endless abrading belt movable into and out of contact with the material to be polished.

One form of the invention is shown applicable to an abrading or polishing machine which is provided with an endless abrading belt adapted to be moved into Contact with a given material for the purpose of smoothing and polishing the surface thereof. The device is known as a polishing head and supports a shoe or roller for manual vertical movement to contact the abrading belt and move it into contact with the material. The polishing head is mounted on a carriage which in turn is supported on a track that extends substantially parallel with the direction of travel of the belt and the polishing head and shoe are, therefore, capable of movement with respect to the material to be worked upon.

Prior to this invention it has been the practice tov provide a polishing device of the general class to which this invention relates with an extremely heavy and rugged polishing head, this being considered necessary to prevent flexing, bending, or misalignment of the polishing member in order that the material might be properly surfaced. Since many of these polishing heads were of an extremely rugged nature they required a rather unwieldly manual operating structure. In fact, the operating structure was such that it has, in the past, been extremely difficult to depress a polishing member and abrading belt into exactly the proper degree of pressure contact with the surface of the material for the purpose of removing blemishes, spots, or unevenness in a given surface. It is quite evident that the surfaces of materials may have blemishes or imperfections of varying size and depth, and consequently, the polishing head should be very sensitive to control by the operator if it is desired to avoid producing a wavy and uneven finish.

The invention is, therefore, directed to and has for its objects the provision of a polishing head for an abrading device which is of eX- tremely simple and rugged construction and which is adaptable for use in connection with both rough and finish polishing. Due to the fact that there are relatively few moving parts, full manual control of the pressure with which an abrading belt may contact the surface of a given material is possible.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of a polishing head embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the polishing head; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on thelines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral I0 is employed to generally indicate a polishing head for an abrading device. The head consists of a housing II which may, as shown in the drawing, be formed integral with a carriage I2. The carriage I2 is adapted to be laterally movable over a track I3 through provision of a number of rollers. Although the number and arrangement of rollers may be varied as needed, the present disclosure includes top and bottom rollers I4 and I5. These rollers are suitably mounted on shafts which are in turn mounted on portions I6. Rollers I4 are adapted to ride on the upper edge of track I3 and rollers I5 along the under edge of the track. Projecting beyond the ends of the carriage I2 are arms I3.

Each of these arms mounts a roller I9 which is adapted to contact one vertical face of the track I3. Referring to Figure 2 of the drawing, it will be noted that the carriage I2 includes a portion 2| which is formed with a horizontally extending recess 22 approximately the width and depth of the track I3 and is adapted to receive said track. Secured to the carriage I2 directly above and below the recess 22 are angle members 23. These members are pivotal about pins 24 and at their outer ends are tted with rollers 26 which are adapted to engage the vertical surface of the track I3 opposite to the surface engaged by rollers I9. A rod 21 is threaded at its ends and engageable with threaded opening in each of the angle members 23. Provision of oppositely directed threads on the rod 2l causes it when rotated to pivot the members 23 about their pins 24 and move rollers 26 into or out of contact with the track I3.

The housing II is generally cylindrical and, in the present illustration, assumes a vertical position. 'Ihe housing is formed with a full length cylindrical opening 28. A cap 29 closes the upper end of the opening 28 of the housing, being secured thereto in any suitable manner as by screws 30. The cap 29 is formed with a bearing portion 3I which projects into the opening 2B and throughout a part of its length closely fits the walls of said opening. A cylindrical opening 32 as a seat for one end of a coil spring 3S that encircles a portion of the shaft 33 beneath the collar, The lower end of the housing Li! .isprovided with a cap 39 which is secured thereto by screws 4l. The cap 39 is formed with a portion 42 which projects into and closely ts the walls ofl the opening 28. An opening 43 is made through the cap 39, through which the lower` end of the shaft 33 projects. Formed in the shaft 33 is a keyway 44. A key 45 projects into the keyway 44 and in the instantrdisclosure takes the form of a screw having threaded engagement with the portion 42 of the cap. vIt will beunderstood that the shaft 33, although movable outwardly of the housing l! against tension of -the spring 38, is prevented rotation by reason of the key and keyway.

Secured to the end of the shaft 33 projecting beneath the lower cap 3S is a member 4l which serves to couple shaft 33 with a further shaft 48. The lower end of shaft 48 is joined to a bracket 49 having a central opening 5l. Bracket 49 is fitted with opposed thumb screws 52, the inner ends of which may be projected into the opening 5|. A pin or bolt 53 pivotally joins Va polishing member 54 to the bracket 49. The upper end 56 of the polishing member projects into the opening 5I and is contacted by the ends of screws 52. Thus adjustment of screws 52 pivots the polishing member 54 about pin 53.

A pair of ledges or shoulders 57 are formed midway of the length of the housing Il and are provided with openings to receive pivot pins. An operating lever 53 terminates in a forked end 59 which is adapted to fit the housing. The arms 6| of the fork abut shoulders 5l and are pivotally joined thereto by the pins heretofore mentioned. The other end of the operating lever is provided with a suitable knob 82. Substantially midway of the length of the lever 53 a pair of spaced downwardly projecting lugs 63 are formed. These lugs have concentric openings thro-ugh which a pin 54 projects to secure a link 56. This link is joined to a further link 6l' by a bolt 58. The openings through which bolt 68 projects in the links 6G and 51 are in the form of slots to facilitate altering the combined length of these links. The lower end of link 67 terminates in a fork 59 which receives a lug li formed on the collar 4l. A pin '52 projects through concentric openings in the fork 69 and lug li to pivotally secure the link 67 to the collar 4l.

In operation a sheet of material 'i3 ismounted on the bed (not shown) `of an abrading device which includes the polishing head above described. An endless belt T4 is caused to move continuously in one direction slightly above the material i3, The polishing member 54 includes a shoe 16 which is adapted to be moved into Contact with the belt 'i4 and cause said belt to contact the surface of the material f3. The operator grasps the knob 62 of the operating lever 58 and moves the polishing head along the track I3 to a position directly over that portion ofthe material 13 it is desired to polish. When the operating lever is moved downwardly about its pivotal connection with housing Il, links 66 and 61 cooperate to move collar 41, member 54, and shoe 'I6 downwardly. The direction of movement of these elements is controlled by the shaft 33 which moves downwardly of the housing Il and compresses spring 38. The tension of spring 38 is insufficient to-cause too great an effort on the part of the operator to lower the shoe 16 into contact with the belt 'I4 and yet produces sufficient tension so that upon releasing the operating lever 58 the belt 'I4 will immediately withdraw from the surface of .the material 13.

It will be noted that the polishing head described consists of a rod within a closed housing, which housing is provided with end bearings adequate to supportvthe rod against all lateral thrust. Furthermore, no problem exists in lubricating the rod 33 since the compartment or opening 28 in :thelhousingll is sealed and may be packed with `greaseor other suitablelubricant. Thisphase of .thepresent invention `is of particular value inas- .much as polishing and abrading devices when in use-produce a considerablequantity of dust and grit which ordinarily wouldget into the working .parts ofthe head and affect the operationthereof.

Although applicant has shown and described only one modification of the invention,-it .will be `understood by those skilled inthe art that-other modifications or adaptations of the structure` may Vbe made andare contemplated vinsofar as'such modifications are withinthespirit and scopevof 'the invention as defined in thehereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my .invention `what I claim as new and for which'I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

ing engaged with and adapted to mount one -.f,;

end of said shaft, spring means normally sustaining said shaft in said housing, a vpolishing member joined toene end of said shaft, and means operable to withdraw said shaft fromfsaid housing in oppositionto said spring means whereby to move said 'polishing member into position of use.

2. Apolishing head for an abrading devicehaving an open ended housing, an axially'movable shaft projecting into said housing, 'a cap `closing one end of said housing, a bearing portion on said cap located within said housing, said portion mounting one end of said shaft in all positions thereof, spring means normally sustaining said shaft in said housing, a polishing member joined to one end of said shaft, and-means operable to partially withdraw said shaft from said housing in opposition to said spring means whereby to move said polishing member into `position of use.

3. A polishing head for an abrading device having a housing open at opposite ends, a shaft projecting into said housing, a cap closing one end of said housing, means adjacent said cap adapted to mount one endof said shaft, a further cap closing the other end of said housing, bearing means in said further cap mounting said shaft, spring means in said housing engaged with and normally supporting said shaft, a polishing member joined to one end of said shaft, and

means operable to axially move saidshaft 'in 75 opposition to said spring means whereby to mo-ve said polishing member into position of use.

4. A polishing head for an abrading device having a housing open at opposite ends, a shaft projecting into said housing, a cap closing one end of said housing, a bearing portion on said cap 1ocated within said housing, said portion being engaged with and adapted to mount one end of said shaft in all positions thereof, a further cap closing the other end of said housing, said further` clap having an opening therethrough for receiving said shaft, a spring in said housing engaged with and adapted to normally support said shaft, a polishing head joined to one end of said shaft, and means operable to axially move said shaft in a direction to compiess said spring whereby to move said polishing member into position of use.

5. A polishing head for an abrading device including a housing open at opposite ends, cap-s closing the ends of said housing, bearing means in said caps, an axially movable shaft mounted in said, bearing means, a spring in said housing engaged with and normally supporting said shaft,

a polishing member joined to one end of said shaft, an operating lever pivotally secured to said housing, means connecting said lever with a member joined to said shaft whereby movement of said lever will axially move said shaft in opposition to said spring and adjust said polishing member.

6. A polishing head for an abrading device including a housing, bearing means in said housing, said means projecting beyond the ends of and serving to close said housing, an axially movable shaft projecting into said housing, spring means engaged with and supporting said shaft in said housing, a member joined to one end of said shaft, a polishing member, said first mentioned member serving to couple said shaft with said polishing member, means on said polishing member for varying the angular position thereof with respect to said shaft, and further means operable to withdraw said shaft from said housing in opposition to said spring means whereby to move said polishing member into position of use.

ALFRED V. BREED. 

